Sheet-drawing apparatus



WILLIAM afsmw, or canernrm;

rnmsrnvmm, assoiron ro Hrrsiwae Speciflcationof Letters Patenta I Pat nt d 169 1920 Application filed January 2, 1918. Seriallo. 209,&36.

To all whom z't may coywcm:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. SHAw, a citizen of the United States; residing at Creighton in the County of Allegheny and State of ennsylvania, have nvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sheet Drawing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. v

The invention relates to' apparatus for' drawing glass in sheet form, and has for its principal objects; the provision of an improved means for defining the sheet and securing a'chillng action in the glass from 'whichthe sheet is drawn; and the provision of improved means for increasng the vs- I cosity of the glass beneath the line of gen-.

eration and promoting the speed at which the drawing action may be carried on. 'One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereinp Figure 1 is a vertical section through the a paratus to which the invention -relates; Big. 2 is a plan View of the drawing shield or slot member; and F ig. 3 is a partial section through a modification.

The glass from which the drawing occurs is carried in a receptacle 1 of fire clay or other suitable refractory material, the receptacle itself being supported in the brickwork 2 which is provided with the flues or passages 3. The construction of this con-' tainer for the glass is not important in so far as the present nventon s concerned,

the only requirement being that a container should be provided capable of maintaining the glass therein at a proper temperature for drawing. I

Mounted upon the top of the Construction 2 is the shield member 4, which is made of refractory material such as clay, and is provided with downwardly and inwardly extending walls 5 preferably terminating at the surface of the glass or closely adjacent thereto. This member provides the shielded opening 6 (Fig. 2) through which the drawing of the sheet occurs.

In order to cool the glass along the line of drawing and beneath the line of generation of the sheet, the conduit or pipe 6 is provided, such pipe preferably following the contour of the slot or shield member and having its central portion 7 located beneath the surface of the glass. This pipe is de- .position of the signed to Carry a cooling fluid V referabl water. The depth at which the onduit located below the surface of the glass will including the temdepend upon conditions, prature `of the glass, the size of the pipe emp o whch is passed therethrough. The vertical g pipe ma be re lated b means of the perforated plates 8 i vhich ar e Secured at their upper ends to the conduit 6 and whch are supported upon the beams 9. Pns may be thrust through the perforations n the plates to engage the beams and thus support the plates at varying heights. Any other sutable means might be' employed for giving the necessary adjustment.

The drawing of the sheet of glass 10 is yed and the quantity of cooling fluid initiated by dipping a bait in the glass above the portion 7 of the pipe and then drawing 1t upward in the usual way. The glass ly ng above the portion 7- of the pipe is chlled and rendered more viscous by reason of the coolng fluid in the pipe, so that the drawing operation is facilitated and the temperature of the glass in the receptacle or pot l may be maintained at a higher temperature than would be the case if the chilling devce were not employed. This is an advantage, as a better product is always secured where the temperature of the main body of glass from which the drawing occurs s relatvely high. In other words, the use of the cooling member gives a restricted area of glass which is sufliciently cool and vscous for proper drawing, while at the sametme permitting the maintenance of a relatvely high temperature in the ma in body of glass. The chilling of the glass also permits the drawing to be carried on at a hgher rate of speed than would otherwise be possible. i '1`he lower edge of the wall 5 preferably ]ust touches the glass although such edge may be a little above or below the surface of the glass, and this wall 5 erforms the function of shielding the shee of glass bemg formed from the heat radiated from the body of glass outside the shield, thus giving the glass of the sheet an opportunity to harden and set.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification wherein the shielding member has a vertical wall 11 terminating just above the surface of the body of *glass 12, the Construction including surface of the glass to provide an elongated the use of the pipe 13 being similar to that drawing opening, and a condut adapted to 10 of Fig. 1. Carry a cooling fluid lying in the molte What I claimis: glass longitudinally of the drawing opening 5 The combination with a rece tacle oarryand spaced below the surface of the body of ing a body of molten glass, o 'a shielding glass. member having its walls tapering downwardly and inwardly to a point adjacent the WILLIAM G. SHAW. 

